Synopses & Reviews
The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.
For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.
With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.
Paper Valentine is a hauntingly poetic tale of love and death by the New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement and The Space Between.
Review
"Haunting and dreamlike, the intrigue and romance of Mara Dyer will inescapably draw you in." --Cassandra Clare, author of the New York Times bestselling
Review
4Q 4P J SHodkin, Michelle. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Simon & Schuster, 2011. 464p. $16.99. 978-1-4424-2176-9.
After Mara Dyer’s best friend dies, she begins to go through episodes of posttraumatic stress disorder. She cannot remember the accident, or was it an accident? Mara only knows that of the four people who went that night to the abandoned asylum, she was the only survivor. Mara gets a new start in Florida, where she meets sexy Noah, who is known for being a player. Mara tries to ignore Noah at first but easily becomes entwined in his charms. Hallucinations and nightmares are a regular part of her life that she tries to keep hidden, especially from Noah. After an incident with her younger brother, Mara finds out that Noah has powerful secrets of his own.
Hodkin's debut is witty and thought-provoking and will have readers captivated until the very end. It takes readers through constant chaos, wonder, and bewilderment. The story can almost be compared to Justine Larbalestier's Liar (Bloomsbury, 2009/VOYA December 2009), only Mara is not aware of the clouded deceits of her experiences. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer will satisfy mystery lovers, dark fantasy seekers, horror believers, and readers who have a knack for romance.
VOYA, October 2011
Review
"A strong, inventive tale."
--Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2011
Review
"Haunting and dreamlike, the intrigue and romance of Mara Dyer will inescapably draw you in." --Cassandra Clare, author of the New York Times bestselling
Review
Hodkin's debut is witty and thought-provoking and will have readers captivated until the very end. It takes readers through constant chaos, wonder, and bewilderment...andlt;Iandgt;The Unbecoming of Mara Dyerandlt;/Iandgt; will satisfy mystery lovers, dark fantasy seekers, horror believers, and readers who have a knack for romance. andlt;BRandgt; VOYA, October 2011
Review
There are echoes of Stephen King's classic Carrie in this young-adult series kickoff...Written from Mara's perspective, andlt;iandgt;The Unbecomingandlt;/iandgt; deftly melds alternate realities. Hodkin's transitions from the mundane to hallucinated horror are unexpected, seamless and creepy, packing the same sort of cinematic punch as scenes from andlt;iandgt;The Blair Witch Projectandlt;/iandgt;....Discerning the truth is just part of the pleasure of reading the delightfully bent reality in andlt;iandgt;The Unbecoming of Mara Dyerandlt;/iandgt;. andlt;BRandgt; --andlt;iandgt;Los Angeles Timesandlt;BRandgt; andlt;/iandgt;
Review
"Anyone who thinks old-fashioned romantic scenes canand#8217;t move teens today will be proven wrong here. This boy will make readers swoon. The characters are real and wonderful, and the supernatural story is riveting. Expect this book to fly off the shelves." andlt;BRandgt; --andlt;Iandgt;SLJandlt;/Iandgt;
Review
"Creepy, haunting, addictive and surprisingly romantic, Maraand#8217;s story is beautiful and complex...Hodkin has elevated the teenage paranormal romance into something completely her own." andlt;BRandgt; --andlt;Iandgt;Romantic Timesandlt;/Iandgt;
Review
"First-time author Hodkin has paired a steamy romance with a paranormal mystery that will cause teen readers whiplash as they jerk from one plot twist to another." andlt;BRandgt; --andlt;Iandgt;Booklistandlt;/Iandgt;
Review
"It's the story of a girl trying to piece together what happened the night she, her best friend, her boyfriend and his sister spent the night in an abandoned asylum and only she survived, unscathed but traumatizedand#8230;And it's the story of a girl falling in loveand#8230;Be careful, 'cause you'll fall right along with her." andlt;BRandgt; --andlt;Iandgt;MTV's Hollywood Crush andlt;BRandgt; andlt;/Iandgt;
Review
andlt;divandgt;"Haunting and dreamlike, the intrigue and romance of Mara Dyer will inescapably draw you in." --Cassandra Clare, author of the andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling
Review
"Haunting and dreamlike, the intrigue and romance of Mara Dyer will inescapably draw you in." --Cassandra Clare, author of the andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling Moral Instruments seriesandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; "andlt;iandgt;The Unbecoming of Mara Dyerandlt;/iandgt; strikes a rare balance of darkly funny, deliciously creepy and genuinely thoughtful. One minute I was laughing out loud, and the next, I was so scared I wanted to turn on all the lights and hide under the covers. Michelle Hodkinand#8217;s talent and range are obvious, from her chilling descriptions to romantic scenes that almost crackled on the page. Iand#8217;ve never read anything quite like it."--Veronica Roth, andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling author of andlt;iandgt;Divergentandlt;/iandgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; "A clever, captivating thriller, andlt;iandgt;The Unbecoming of Mara Dyerandlt;/iandgt; is perfect for those (like me) who like their heroes dark, their heroines dangerous, and their romances andlt;iandgt;seriouslyandlt;/iandgt; twisted."andlt;BRandgt; --Kirsten Miller, andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling author of andlt;iandgt;The Eternal Onesandlt;/iandgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; "WOW. Michelle Hodkin's debut will keep you guessing until the last page--and long after."andlt;BRandgt; --Beth Revis, andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling author of andlt;iandgt;Across the Unviverseandlt;/iandgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; "As spooky and twisty as it is lyrical and beautiful, andlt;iandgt;The Unbecoming of Mara Dyerandlt;/iandgt; grabbed me and wouldn't let go. Read this one with the lights on." --Rachel Hawkins, andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling author of andlt;iandgt;Demonglassandlt;BRandgt; andlt;/iandgt;
Review
"A strong, inventive tale."andlt;BRandgt; --andlt;iandgt;Kirkus Reviewsandlt;/iandgt;, August 1, 2011
Synopsis
Mara wakes up from a coma with no memory of the accident that caused the deaths of her best friend, boyfriend, and boyfriend’s sister. The doctors tell her parents that starting over in a new state and a new school will be good for her and that she should let the memories come back on their own. But Mara’s new start is anything but comforting when she sees the faces of her dead friends everywhere, and her world starts to fall apart. She begins to see people’s deaths just before they happen—at least that’s what she thinks she’s seeing. On top of that, the most beautiful boy ever is pursuing her, but his intentions may not be so pure….
Part thriller, part paranormal, this hotly anticipated debut novel will have readers on the edge of their seats.
Synopsis
Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong.
Synopsis
Mara Dyer doesn't know if she is crazy or haunted--all she knows is that everyone around her is dying in this suspenseful and "strong, inventive tale" (Kirkus Reviews). Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong.
After Mara survives the traumatizing accident at the old asylum, it makes sense that she has issues. She lost her best friend, her boyfriend, and her boyfriend's sister, and as if that weren't enough to cope with, her family moves to a new state in order to give her a fresh start. But that fresh start is quickly filled with hallucinations--or are they premonitions?--and then corpses, and the boundary between reality and nightmare is wavering. At school, there's Noah, a devastatingly handsome charmer who seems determined to help Mara piece together what's real, what's imagined--and what's very, very dangerous.
This fast-paced psychological--or is it paranormal?--thriller will leave you breathless for its sequel, The Evolution of Mara Dyer.
Synopsis
Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;It can.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;There is.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;She's wrong.
Synopsis
After a brush with death, a thrill-seeking teenager becomes withdrawn and antagonistic. As her relationships crumble, she must fight the person she has become—or lose herself forever.
About the Author
Brenna Yovanoff was raised in a barn, a tent, and a tepee, and was homeschooled until high school. She spent her formative years in Arkansas, in a town heavily populated by snakes, where sometimes they would drop turkeys out of the sky. When she was five, she moved to Colorado, where it snows on a regular basis but never snows turkeys. Her short fiction has appeared in Chiaroscuro and Strange Horizons. She holds an MFA in fiction from Colorado State University and is the New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement and The Space Between. She currently lives in Denver with her husband. Visit her online at www.brennayovanoff.com.